Butter pecan ice cream is one of the most popular ice cream flavors found at an ice cream shop. It really is the perfect dessert! Traditionally, butter pecan ice cream is a bit higher in fat and calories than some would like. But, don’t worry about that! With the Ninja Creami machine you can turn just about anything into ice cream! To help reduce the calories and fat content, while increasing the protein, this recipe uses unflavored protein powder.
This recipe comes in at 374 calories, 27 grams of protein, 8 grams of sugar, 21 grams of fat, 61 carbs, 13 net carbs (total carbs-allulose) for the ENTIRE pint. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all nutrition facts.
Oftentimes when you find low calorie, low fat, or low-carb ice cream, it’s not very creamy. But, this recipe comes out with a really creamy texture thanks to the protein powder and guar gum that is used. Many Ninja Creami ice cream recipes use cream cheese or sugar-free pudding powder (vanilla pudding mix is very common in a lot of recipes) to make the ice cream creamy. But, we don’t need either of those in this recipe. The protein powder and guar gum act as the stabilizer/thickener and do a good job of making the ice cream creamy and thick enough to scoop.
Looking for more butter pecan recipes? Check out my full fat and sugar, Ninja Creami butter pecan ice cream recipe here. And, if you like gelato, check out butter pecan gelato here.
For this recipe I used Lorann Oils. I chose to use both the butter and the pecan super strength flavor oils. Some other recipes use butter or just butter flavoring and use the actual pecans as the pecan flavor. But, I prefer using both oils as I just think it tastes better. I have also experimented with the Loranns butter pecan flavor fountain (made to be used with dairy) and preferred the flavor of the individual butter and pecan super strength oils. If you choose to use a different brand of oils or extracts, add a tiny bit, stir it, taste it, and then add more as needed. Remember that the Lorann super strength flavor oils are much stronger than regular extract and a little goes a very long way.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Butter Pecan Protein Ice Cream
No. You can’t even tell that almond milk was used in the recipe. The almond milk doesn’t provide any additional flavor.
There is less pecan extract in the recipe because we are adding in pecans as mix-ins. Those added pecans add a ton of flavor so you don’t need as much extract.
You can, but it won’t taste quite the same. The butter extract is very concentrated so you get a lot of butter flavor in a very small amount of extract. If you were to use regular butter instead, the flavor would be far less intense.
This is all a matter of preference. The Ninja Creami is made to process frozen solid mixtures that use the appropriate ingredients. Many people like to thaw their ice cream because they are afraid the frozen block of ice cream will break the machine. If you are using correct ingredients (not just water) processing it shouldn’t break the machine. If you want more of a soft serve consistency, you can thaw the ice cream for a little while before processing or add more liquid on the respin to make it softer.
No, you don’t need to use sugar. Instead, you can use a sugar substitute or alternative sweetener like allulose, monk fruit, stevia, coconut sugar, or agave. If you are making a sorbet or smoothie bowl with a lot of fruit, you might not need to add any additional sweeteners.
Looking for more Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream Recipes?
Ingredient substitutions for Ninja Creami Butter Pecan Protein Ice Cream
Unsweetened Almond Milk- Use your favorite dairy or dairy substitutes. Almond milk was used in this recipe but you can use whole milk, 2% milk, skim milk, oat milk (although I do find that oat milk tastes more like oats than like milk), coconut milk, cashew milk, or soy milk.
Unflavored Whey Protein Powder- For this recipe, it’s important to use unflavored protein. The flavor is added through the other ingredients. The brand doesn’t matter, although I used GNC 100% whey so the nutritional value is based on that brand.
Swerve Sugar Substitute (Granulated-Allulose Blend)- Use your favorite sugar substitute or sugar. Be sure to use one that is a 1:1 ratio with sugar.
Vanilla Bean Paste-I prefer to use vanilla bean paste over vanilla extract because I find that it provides a richer, deeper, vanilla flavor without an alcohol taste. If you like the extract, feel free to use it instead of the paste.
Loranns Butter Extract Oil- Super strength oil- If you use a different brand or extract, taste the mixture after adding a tiny bit. Add more as needed.
Loranns Pecan Extract Oil- Super strength oil- If you use a different brand or extract, taste the mixture after adding a tiny bit. Add more as needed.
Guar Gum- Guar gum has no flavor and helps create a great texture. While I have not tried it in ice cream, many have found success with Xanthan gum instead of guar gum.
Pecans (Chopped)- Pecans add to the flavor of the ice cream and are an important ingredient. I would not recommend substituting them, but if you have to, use walnuts, peanuts, or almonds.
Directions for making Ninja Creami Butter Pecan Protein Ice Cream
Directions for Making the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the unsweetened almond milk, protein powder, sugar substitute, vanilla bean paste, Lorann extract oils, and gaur gum into a small blender and blend until all ingredients are fully combined. Pour this mixture into a Ninja Creami pint container.
- Freeze on a level surface for 24 hours. Your freezer should be between 9 and -7 degrees Fahrenheit. To avoid getting a bump on the top of the frozen mixture, freeze with the lid off of the container.
Directions for Processing the Ice Cream Mixture
- After 24 hours, remove the pint container from the freezer.
- Place the pint container into the outer bowl of the Ninja Creami and then process on “LITE ICE CREAM.”
- If the ice cream is dry or crumbly looking (like sand), pour in a tablespoon or two of unsweetened almond milk and then re-spin. If the ice cream looks like little balls of ice cream, respin without adding liquid. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- Dig a well down the center of the ice cream and pour in the chopped pecan pieces. Process on mix-ins.
- Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
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Recipe
Ninja Creami Butter Pecan Protein Ice Cream
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Equipment
Add Food Grade Vegetable Glycerin To Make Leftover Ice Cream Scoopable Right Out of the Freezer
Per 16 ounce pint: *Add 1 Teaspoon to full fat/full sugar bases *Add 1.5 teaspoon to high protein bases *Add 2 teaspoons to low sugar/low fat lite bases. Freeze and process per the recipe. Take the leftovers out of the freezer and scoop without having to reprocess.
Original and Deluxe Ingredient Measurements
Use the multiplier below to adjust quantities based on the machine that you own. 1X=Original 16 ounce 1.5X=Deluxe 24 ounces
Ingredients
Ice Cream Base
- 12 Fluid Ounces (354 ⅞ ml) Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1 Scoop (1 Scoop) Unflavored Whey Protein Powder
- ¼ Cup (50 g) Swerve Sugar Substitute (Granulated-Allulose Blend)
- 2 Teaspoons (2 Teaspoons) Vanilla Bean Paste
- ½ Teaspoon (½ Teaspoon) Loranns Butter Extract Oil
- ¼ Teaspoon (¼ Teaspoon) Loranns Pecan Extract Oil
- ¼ Teaspoon (¼ Teaspoon) Guar Gum
Mix-ins
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Chopped Pecans
Optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons (1 Tablespoons) Unsweetened Almond Milk
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the unsweetened almond milk, protein powder, sugar substitute, vanilla bean paste, Lorann extract oils, and gaur gum into a small blender and blend until all ingredients are fully combined. Pour this mixture into a Ninja Creami pint container.
- Freeze on a level surface for 24 hours. Your freezer should be between 9 and -7 degrees Fahrenheit. To avoid getting a bump on the top of the frozen mixture, freeze with the lid off of the container.
Process the Ice Cream
- After 24 hours, remove the pint container from the freezer.
- Place the pint container into the outer bowl of the Ninja Creami and then process on "LITE ICE CREAM."
- If the ice cream is dry or crumbly looking (like sand), pour in a tablespoon or two of unsweetened almond milk and then re-spin. If the ice cream looks like little balls of ice cream, respin without adding liquid. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- Dig a well down the center of the ice cream and pour in the chopped pecan pieces. Process on mix-ins.
- Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. Optional ingredients are not included in the nutrition information.
Recipes that use allulose:
Allulose is a low calorie sweetener that your body doesn’t fully digest, so it provides only 0.4 calories per gram instead of 4. That’s why the calorie total doesn’t match what you’d expect from the carb count. Calories from allulose are calculated based on metabolized carbohydrates. Allulose contributes fewer calories than standard carbohydrates.
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